Drilling Geology 2

At the end of this lecture, YOU will be able to;

1. Name or describe one major process occurring at

divergent, convergent and sliding plate
boundaries.

2. List the 4 types of rock deformation arising from

stresses in the rock.

3. Name the 3 types of fault and in each case state

what sort of crust movement is the cause.

4. Show how to determine the principal stresses 1,

2 and 3 in a tectonically relaxed area.

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 Crustal Plates

Plate boundaries shown with relative velocities (cm/yr)

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 Basic elements of plate tectonics
DIVERGENT BOUNDARY CONVERGENT BOUNDARY
Mid-ocean ridge Plate subduction
Lithosphere Sea floor spreading Volcanism Mountain
Oceanic building
crust
Deep-sea trench Continental
crust

Magma rising

Asthenosphere

Magma forming

• Earthquake centers

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 Processes at plate boundaries

Divergent boundary - plates moving apart.

Earthquakes, new crust formed.

Convergent boundary - plates moving together.

Earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain formation.

Sliding boundary - plates sliding past one

another. Earthquakes.

All of these cause abnormal rock stresses

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 Rock Deformation from stress

Stress in rock causes various deformations;

 Folding
 Faulting
 Fracturing
 Changes in porosity (compact/expand)

Plate movement, gravity and heat flow provide energy

for the large scale processes (plate tectonics).

Salt diapirs and fluid movements cause smaller scale

stresses.

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 Resolving vertical stress into vectors

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 Normal and Shear stresses

At 30 degrees,
Normal = 0.866

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 Principal Stresses in normal rock

Principal stresses are

usually compressive
but can be tensile.

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 Highest principal stress, 1
1 = stress due to overburden (normal area).

The overburden is measured by integrating a

Density Log to calculate the total weight of the
rocks, which is divided by TVD.
1 might not be vertical in;
tectonically active areas
close to salt diapirs
if very deep
close to faults
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 1 vs. depth (US Gulf Coast)

(Preston Moore,
Drilling Practices
Manual, 2nd Ed,Pennwell)

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 Lowest principal stresses, 3

3 is normally horizontal.

The Eaton Equation can be used to calculate 3 if

Poisson’s Ratio is known.

A Leak off Test will give a direct indication of 3 (=

fracture closure pressure)

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 Intermediate principal stress, 2

2 is normally horizontal.

2  1.1 x 3 (valid for the North Sea)

Horizontal stresses can be estimated from offset

well instability (4 arm caliper log) or regional
trends.

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 Normal fault (crust stretches)

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 Normal fault

Example Kabab Canyon, Utah

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 Thrust fault (crust compresses)

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Thrust fault

900 m

Chulitna - Terranes / N’ Wrangellia / Alaska

Example
 Strike-Slip fault (crust slides)

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 San Andreas fault, USA

• Strike-Slip fault

• Sliding plate boundary

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 Salt diapirism

FAULTING

FOLDING
SALT

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 Fold Terminology

Anticline

Youngest
Syncline rock
Oldest rock

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 Anticline

Example Anza-Borrego, California

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 Folding

Example

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 Overturned Folds
Example

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 Drilling Geology 2
Now, YOU should be able to;

1. Name or describe one major process occurring at

divergent, convergent and sliding plate boundaries.

2. List the 4 types of rock deformation arising from

stresses in the rock.

3. Name the 3 types of fault and state for each what

crust movement is the cause.

4. Explain how to determine the principal stresses 1,

2 and 3 in a tectonically relaxed area.
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Any questions before the test?

This is a closed book test.

Please put away your notes now.